Sam Walton: Building a Walmart World | Planes, Trains, and Discounts | 1

Business Movers

Wondery

History, Business, Entrepreneurship

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 23 March 2023

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the 1970’s, Sam Walton steps away from his retail empire, Walmart. But with Sam gone, the company nearly buckles under the weight of a power struggle at the executive level. Distressed with how his company is being run in his absence, Sam comes out of semi-retirement with a vengeance determined to take back control and take his company to the next level.

To listen to Business Movers ad-free, join Wondery+ in the Wondery App. Click here to download the app: https://wondery.app.link/businessmovers.

Support us by supporting our sponsors!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to business movers, add free on Amazon Music, download the app today.
0:22.0	It's the fall of 1974 in Rogers, Arkansas.
0:25.0	Sam Walton walks briskly up and down the aisles of a crowded Walmart.
0:29.0	Sam, 56 years old and graying, opened this store his first ever Walmart more than a decade ago.
0:36.0	Today, he oversees a chain of more than two dozen locations, with many more soon to open.
0:41.0	As he conducts the site visit, Sam is joined by one of his most essential executives, Ron Mayer,
0:47.0	a 40-year-old with jet black hair and a snappy pinstripe suit.
0:51.0	As Sam and Ron make their way through the store, something catches Sam's eye,
0:56.0	an employee stalking a shelf with bottles of baby lotion.
1:00.0	As the worker finishes up and heads to the back, Sam grabs a bottle and turns to Ron.
1:05.0	How much we plan to charge for these?
1:07.0	Well, let's see.
1:09.0	Looks like the manager is suggesting $1.25.
1:12.0	Buck 25.
1:14.0	What's suggested retail?
1:16.0	$1.98.
1:18.0	What do we pay the manufacturer for?
1:21.0	50 cents.
1:23.0	Sam adjusts the brim of the Walmart branded trucker hat that he's paired with his inexpensive gray suit.
1:29.0	That's 150% markup.
1:31.0	No, no, no, drop the price to 65 cents.
1:34.0	But that's only 30% Sam.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wondery, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Wondery and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.